diff --git a/fs/f2fs/namei.c b/fs/f2fs/namei.c
index b882771e4699..19467c5d612a 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/namei.c
@@ -577,6 +577,14 @@ static int f2fs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 		f2fs_folio_put(folio, false);
 		goto fail;
 	}
+	else if (unlikely(S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode) && inode->i_nlink == 1)) {
+		f2fs_warn(F2FS_I_SB(inode), "%s: directory inode (ino=%lx) has one i_nlink",
+			  __func__, inode->i_ino);
+		err = -EFSCORRUPTED;
+		set_sbi_flag(F2FS_I_SB(inode), SBI_NEED_FSCK);
+		f2fs_folio_put(folio, false);
+		goto fail;
+	}
 
 	f2fs_balance_fs(sbi, true);